John Comyn

John "the Red" Comyn (1274-10 February 1306) was a Scottish baron and magnate who served as a Guardian of Scotland from 1296 to 1304 during the Wars of Scottish Independence. In 1304, he was murdered by his rival Robert Bruce, who took over the leadership of the Scottish independence cause.

Biography
John Comyn was born in 1274, the son of John Comyn II and the nephew of King John Balliol. At the start of the Wars of Scottish Independence in 1296, Comyn, his father, and his cousin John Comyn, Earl of Buchan attacked the English city of Carlisle, defended by Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick (the father of Robert Bruce). The Comyns were ultimately forced to retreat and were later defeated by the English in the Battle of Dunbar, and John was captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Rise to power
Comyn was later released and went on to serve under King Edward I of England in Flanders, but, in March 1298, he deserted from the English army when he heard of William Wallace's rising back in Scotland. Comyn returned to Scotland on a French ship, and he was present at the Battle of Falkirk, where he and several of the Scottish nobles deserted Wallace's army, resulting in his army's defeat. Wallace was forced to flee to France, and Comyn and the younger Robert Bruce began to feud over the leadership of the independence cause. In 1300, when the restoration of King John Balliol looked likely, Bruce resigned as a Guardian of Scotland, making Comyn the leader of the Scottish rebels. In 1298, 1300, and 1301, the Comyns confined three English invasions to the south of the country, while the north remained the Scots' main recruiting ground and supply base. In February 1303, Comyn himself defeated an English army at the Battle of Roslyn. However, France concluded a peace treaty with England, and, in 1304, Comyn was forced to renew his fealty to King Edward I as Stirling Castle was bsieeged.

Downfall
King Edward entrusted Comyn and Bruce with governing Scotland as his loyal vassals, and they reluctantly worked together for two years. However, by 1306, the conscription of Scots into the English army, unpopular taxes, and the public display of William Wallace's quartered body led to widespread calls for another uprising. Bruce attempted to recruit Comyn to join him during a meeting at the Greyfriars Church in Dumfries, but Comyn refused and threatened to warn King Edward. Bruce proceeded to stab Comyn dead in front of the high altar, and the Scottish Church later pardoned Bruce and offered him the crown of Scotland, officially making him the King of Scotland and the leader of the rebel cause.